Shared Living Expectations
The Shared Living Expectations worksheet (pdf) is the foundation for roommates to develop shared expectations of their room space and negotiate areas of concern on a small scale. Residents who engage in these conversations can mitigate difficulties by discussing potential concerns and negotiating space expectations before they develop into conflicts.
Through completing this worksheet, residents will examine each other's living styles and preferences and help ensure that each resident's rights are respected. Accepting each other's differences without infringing upon one another is an important skill and makes residence hall living easier.
Below are some questions to consider as you think about living with a roommate:
- Everyone has different thoughts about how their room should feel throughout the year. What type of space do I want my room to be (e.g., social, lively, quiet, studious)?
- What are my hopes for my relationship with my roommate? What do I need from them to live successfully together?
- What are some of my pet peeves? How might they show up when living with someone new?
- How do I like to receive feedback? How do I typically give it?
- What do I need from a roommate when I am stressed or upset?
- How much alone time do I typically need in a week?
- Are any allergies or special accommodations needed to live in the room?
- How will we communicate with one another? How will we communicate when things get tense?
- What will we do when we can't reach an agreement?
